By evening, the story, which had gone through several twists and turns, had reached the ears of the Ji family.
The first calls Ji Mingshu received were from her aunt and second aunt.
Their stories were almost identical; they both said they heard she was getting a divorce and called to ask what was going on. They also said that if Cen Sen had bullied her or wronged her, the Ji family would definitely help her get justice.
The wives the Ji family married were all from prestigious families, well-mannered, and had excellent communication skills.
If it weren't for those classic "advice to reconcile rather than separate" quotes at the end, Ji Mingshu might have genuinely thought they were just calling to protect their own.
She gave a perfunctory reply, her mood plummeting to rock bottom as if she had been plunged into a cold, stagnant pool.
It was probably her ambiguous attitude that made the Ji family feel threatened. After her two aunts finished their persuasion, her eldest uncle, Ji Rusong, even called her personally.
"Xiao Shu, what's going on between you and Asen? Why are there rumors all of a sudden that you're getting a divorce from Asen?"
Ji Rusong got straight to the point without beating around the bush, and his voice, as always, was gentle yet carried the authority of a superior.
Ji Mingshu was squatting on the ground packing his luggage. He had been on the phone for several days and was not surprised by Ji Rusong's inquiry.
She put her phone down on speakerphone and said calmly, "It was me who brought it up, Uncle. We can't live together anymore."
"It really was you who suggested it?" Ji Rusong didn't believe it at first, but after hearing it, he finally got anxious. "Xiao Shu, how could you be so willful!"
Ji Mingshu lowered his eyes and didn't reply.
Ji Rusong was still at the company, holding his phone in one hand and his other hand behind his back, feeling quite overwhelmed by his niece.
He tried his best to calm himself down. "Xiao Shu, I won't beat around the bush with you. You're an adult, and you can't act on your own whims! Do you know how important the Nanwan project, which Jingjian is cooperating on with me, is right now?"
“Things have changed. Beijing Construction doesn’t necessarily have to cooperate with the Ji family, but if we don’t cooperate with Beijing Construction, who else can take on this project? All development must come to a halt!”
He sighed, then said earnestly, "And your second uncle, he's worked diligently for decades, never daring to make a single wrong move! Do you think his current position is easy to hold? If it weren't for Jingjian supporting him, countless eyes would be watching, wanting to bring him down!"
Ji Rusong's words of disappointment and reluctance to scold him made Ji Mingshu's already chaotic mind even more confused.
She slowly put down the clothes in her hands, and then slowly stretched out her hands to cover her face.
In fact, if Ji Rusong had started by scolding her mercilessly, she could have argued that they were raising her for the purpose of marriage alliances, which was no different from raising Yangzhou "slim horses" in ancient times, and that they had no right to act as elders and criticize her.
But Ji Rusong did not.
She knew better than anyone else that Ji Rusong and Ji Rubai's efforts for her were purposeful, but those efforts were not the same as feigned affection.
When she was little, some classmates at school mocked her for not having parents and for being a wild child picked up from a garbage dump. She was so angry that she cried and ran to Ji Rusong to complain.
Upon learning this, Ji Rusong rushed back from out of town without saying a word and went to the school to talk to the leaders.
When he took her home after school, Ji Rusong bought her ice cream. As he held her hand and walked towards the compound, he patiently coaxed her, "Xiao Shu is the little princess of the Ji family. How could she be a wild child picked up from a garbage dump? If anyone talks nonsense again, remember to tell your uncle. Your uncle will help you catch the bad guys, okay?"
The adults' deliberately slowed pace and the narrow alleyways have long since turned yellow, but recalling them now, everything is still as clear as yesterday.
Suddenly, her nose stung, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
After a long while, she choked out into the phone, "Uncle, I'm sorry, but I really... I really don't want to do this anymore. I'm in so much pain, I'm in so much pain right now."
She couldn't bear to think about the scene of Cen Sen and Li Wenying together, nor did she dare to think deeply about what Li Wenying had said. She also couldn't convince herself that she was just angry that Cen Sen had slapped her.
It was supposed to be just a marriage alliance, but suddenly something else came along, and the interests became impure.
The evening sunset resembled a runny salted duck egg yolk, orange with a hint of red.
Ji Rusong stood by the window and suddenly fell silent.
He remembered that Ji Mingshu was sent back to the Ji family's old house after his parents died, also at dusk on such a day.
At that time, the little girl was like a tiny pink dumpling, wearing a fluffy princess dress, holding a pretty doll in her arms, and still innocent of the ways of the world.
The little girl's eyes crinkled with laughter when she saw him. Her aunt taught her to call him "Uncle," but she blurted out "Radish" instead.
At that time, Grandpa Ji was still alive, and he had just taken over part of Huadian's business. He was young and ambitious, and he loved his younger brother's youngest daughter from the bottom of his heart.
Unlike now, after all the trials and tribulations, all feelings have faded. It's strange, really; the older a person gets, the less they seem to have control over their own destiny.
He leaned against the window railing, his voice gradually softening, "Xiao Shu, your uncle doesn't mean to pressure you, he just hopes you can consider the Ji family a little. You're in a bad mood right now, so your uncle won't say much. You can calm down first and then have a proper talk with Asen."
Ji Mingshu hugged his legs with both arms, buried his head in his arms, and remained silent for a long time.
Ji Rusong sighed and hung up the phone.
When Cen Sen returned to Mingshui Mansion, it was already nine o'clock in the evening. Tomorrow would probably not be a sunny day, as there wasn't a single star in the night sky.
The door to the master bedroom on the second floor was not closed, and the lights in the walk-in closet were on. There were two suitcases with monogrammed logos placed at the door.
Cen Sen remained calm as he approached the dressing room. Looking at Ji Mingshu, who was squatting inside packing her luggage, he asked in a low voice, "Where do you want to go?"
Ji Mingshu stiffened, neither turning around nor responding.
"Bai Cui Tian Hua?"
“Your second uncle just called me. He thinks you need to stay home and calm down.”
The house in Bai Cui Tian Hua was a gift from Ji Rubai. Compared to Ji Rusong, Ji Rubai's heart has always been a bit harder.
Ji Mingshu understood what he meant, suddenly stood up, turned and stared at Cen Sen for a few seconds, then picked up the suitcase by the door and tried to walk out without packing his luggage.
Cen Sen suddenly reached out and stopped the person.
"What do you want to do?"
Ji Mingshu lowered his eyelids, his voice turning cold.
Cen Sen gave her a deep look. "Ji Mingshu, that's the question I should be asking you."
The two stood a body length apart, motionless at the point where they were about to pass each other but were stopped.
Exhausted from the long journey, Cen Sen's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a hint of inexplicable frustration.
“I didn’t approve the investment for Li Wenying’s movie, and I never intended to embarrass you. Before you throw a tantrum, you could have asked me first. I can’t always drop everything to deal with your momentary tantrum.”
Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, Ji Mingshu suddenly wanted to laugh, "You think I'm just throwing a tantrum because I'm unhappy, right?"
She released her suitcase, looked up at the tall man in front of her, and raised her voice to question him: "You said that Li Wenying's movie was not funded by you, but is it true that Junyi invested in her movie?"
Cen Sen remained indifferent and did not respond.
"That's the truth?"
Ji Mingshu felt a sharp pain in her internal organs from anger. Her voice grew louder and faster as she spoke, "Your company invested in a movie your first love made to commemorate your pure love. Are you still trying to tell me you knew nothing about it, or that even if you did, you had no right to stop it? Cen Sen, you're twenty-seven. Are you trying to tell me you only know how to work and don't understand social etiquette, or even such a basic thing as avoiding suspicion?!"
"It's not what you think. She found Junyi Investment through Director Chen. Director Chen and my father are old acquaintances, and I didn't want to offend him, so I had her go through the normal evaluation process through his investment company."
Cen Sen believes he has shown immense patience and offered an objective explanation: "She was able to secure this investment because the evaluation team felt that her film could yield a higher return than the investment would make. Whether or not the investment was ultimately made was none of my business."
"None of your business?" Ji Mingshu laughed angrily, his voice trembling and choking more and more as he spoke. "Are you telling me that your subordinates are so clueless? If you showed any sign of avoiding suspicion, wouldn't they have noticed and taken the initiative to avoid you?!"
She nodded again, "Okay, I won't pursue this with you. Now that you know she got investment from Junyi and you know what she's going to film, call the group right now and have them cancel the investment. Call now and block this movie!"
"Ji Mingshu, I think you need to calm down."
Cen Sen's voice was deep as he gripped her hand, which she was trying to pull away from.
Ji Mingshu looked at him, and without warning, tears suddenly rolled down her cheeks.
She struggled to break free from Cen Sen's grasp, wiped her face with the back of her hand, but tears streamed down her face, no matter how much she wiped them away.
A strange sense of unease welled up inside Cen Sen.
Ji Mingshu took two steps back. "I'm very calm now. You're unwilling, aren't you? Or are you unable to do it? Mr. Cen of Junyi, Mr. Cen of Jingjian, is it really that difficult for you to blacklist a movie that hasn't even started filming yet? Are you unable to do it or unwilling to do it? If you're unwilling, fine, let's get a divorce. I've had enough!"
In the end, Ji Mingshu was on the verge of hysteria and collapse.
Those emotions hidden deep within her heart, emotions she was unwilling to confront, all poured out uncontrollably at this moment.
Her face was covered in tears, and her shoulders and fingers were trembling.
That's right.
Ji Mingshu is a vicious supporting female character.
She has liked Cen Sen for many years, but she is unwilling to face her true feelings and unwilling to admit it.
She was just jealous. She was jealous that Li Wenying had a Cinderella story since childhood, and jealous that Li Wenying, despite being inferior to her in looks, figure, and family background, had won Cen Sen's heart and would feel pity for her whenever she reappeared. Meanwhile, Ji Mingshu, married to Cen Sen for three years, was not liked by him and would never like him!
If it were just a business marriage, she could deceive herself and pretend not to hear. But why did it have to be Li Wenying? Didn't he consider her feelings for even a second? He clearly knew what her relationship with Li Wenying was, so why did he do this?
"Stop fooling around."
When Cen Sen heard Ji Mingshu say that he should blacklist Li Wenying, or she would divorce him, he felt that she was being unreasonable.
"I'm not making a scene. Cen Sen, I'm serious, let's get a divorce."
She pried open Cen Sen's fingers one by one, her voice broken and intermittent, yet calmed by exhaustion.
She absolutely would not allow this ridiculous marriage to be stripped of its last shred of dignity by Li Wenyin, this haunting ex-girlfriend. Cen Sen could dislike her, could not love her, but he could not maintain a marital relationship with her while still having lingering ties with Li Wenyin. Absolutely not.
Cen Sen felt a throbbing pain in his temples, and his agitation grew stronger. Some things he didn't want to say came out without thinking.
"Divorce? You keep bringing up divorce. Do you really think you'll be more comfortable after a divorce? Ji Mingshu, what else can you do without me?"
"Ask yourself honestly, after the divorce, will the Ji family still treat you the same as before? How many people in your circle are still willing to be your foil? You're not a child anymore; you have to be responsible for your words and actions."
Ji Mingshu closed his eyes. "Yes, I can't do anything, I'm just a canary you keep! So you've never taken me seriously, never looked up to me. Not just you, but your friends, my family, they all think I'm a useless piece of trash who can't walk on my own without you!"
"I'm not as good as Li Wenying. I'm not as talented as her, nor as shameless as her, who keeps pestering her ex under the guise of nostalgia after the breakup! And I don't have her ability to actually make you, her ex, slap your wife's face to fulfill her dreams! So now I want to fly away, is that okay? Even if I fly away and get struck by lightning, it's none of your business! Get out of my way!"
Ji Mingshu pushed Cen Sen away forcefully, and this time she tried to leave without even taking her suitcase.
Since Cen Sen has made it so clear that everything she has is given to her by him, then she doesn't need to shamelessly pack these things up and take them away.
Before she could even step out of the room, Cen Sen suddenly grabbed her wrist from behind and dragged her onto the bed.
He loosened his tie, a thin layer of hostility on his face.
He leaned over Ji Mingshu, twisting her two slender wrists behind her back and holding them tightly, while his other hand pinched her chin, forcing her to accept his kiss.
He rarely kissed so urgently and intensely, and he didn't think about why he was doing it; he just subconsciously wanted to do it, so he did it.
Ji Mingshu had just cried; her eyes were red and slightly swollen, and there was a salty, astringent taste around her eyes and on her face.
Cen Sen kissed her from her lips to her eyebrows and eyes, then to her earlobes, neck, and collarbone, as if burning flames all over her body.
For the first half minute after being thrown onto the bed, Ji Mingshu didn't even have time to react. When she did, she was met with a barrage of kisses until Cen Sen started unbuttoning her clothes, at which point she began to struggle.
"Let me go! Let me go! You pervert!"
Her hands were tightly controlled and she couldn't move at all, and her kicks were flat and weak.
Only when Cen Sen kissed her lips again did she find an opportunity to bite him hard, and for a moment, the taste of rust filled both of their mouths.